Wire fastener for cords



June 23, 1953 G. E. MILLS WIRE FASTENER FOR CORDS Filed Dec. 29, 1950 h um. Mmam E n n A m m m Patented June 23, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I I 7 2,642,640 I WIRE FASTENER FORCORDS Glenn E. Mills, Albion, Mich. 3 Application December 29, 1950, Serial N 0. 203,457.

1 Claim. (01. 24-130) they are tied to the last hook in the series. This tying is not only ,difiicult for many women, but generally causes slack in the line, requires time for tying as well as untying, and it is difficult if not impossible to take up the slack in such clothesline without first unloading same. It was a recognition of this problem and the dimculties inherent in same, as well as the fact that none of the. previously proposed constructions were particularly satisfactory, which lead to the conception and developmentof. 113118 present invention.

Accordingly, among the'obj'ect's of the present invention is the provision of a highly simplified andlowcost anchoring device for clotheslines and the like.

Another object is to provide an anchoring device for clotheslines and the like, wherein same is preferably made out of heavy wire with a loop end for use in anchoring same to a post, house, or the like, while intermediate of its ends is a turned back open hook around which the clothesline can be passed fordrawing the clothesline tight, and on said heavy wire opposite said hook is placed a gripper so that by drawing the clothesline tight around the hook and then engaging it with the gripper, the clothesline is firmly held while leaving it free for easy disengagement and tightening whenever desired.

Another object is to provide a rope or clothesline anchor made from heavy wire or rod with the body portion of same being of general cotter pin shape with one leg turned back to form an open hook, while the other leg has fastened to the side thereof a second wire or rod member with outwardly flaring ends for wedge grip holding of a rope or clothesline drawn tightly between said leg and second member.

A further object is to provide a rope or clothesline gripper which is easily manufactured, relatively inexpensive, efiicient, and easy to use.

Still further objects and advantages of the.

present invention will appear as thedescription proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the line fastening means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim, the

annexed'drawing and the'following .description settingforth .in detail. certain means for carrying out the invention,.such disclosed means illustrating, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the annexed drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the anchors .ing device of the present invention with the clothesline-rope mountediin one anchoring posi-" tion.

Figure 2 is a top view of the assemblyshown in Figure l with the clothesline rope omitted, f ,FigureB is a side view of the assembly shown in Figure 1 and as seen from the left side of same with the clothesline rope omitted.

Referring tov the drawing, it will be noted tha there isdiagr'ammatically,v shown a post I, or other suitable stationary structure, to which a fasteninglmembensuch as a screw eye 2'. or the like, isjoined to formla support for. the anchor-. ing device 3 of the present invention For ease of removing and installing the anchoring device, the screw eye is preferably of the open type illustrated, but same is to be considered as diagrammatic of the various types of fastening members which can be used for supporting the anchoring device 3 in position for use.

The anchoring device 3 has a cotter pin shaped portion with an eye 4 for engaging screw eye 2. Extending side by side from eye 4 are a pair of side members 5 and 6 which are preferably spot welded or otherwise held together. The end of side member 6 is bent downward and backward to form an open hook I for the initial engagement of a rope clothesline 8 or the like, as shown in Figure l.

Side member 5 is preferably left straight and i has fastened on its outer face opposite to side member 6 a gripper member 9 as by means of welding or brazing. This gripper member preferably has both of its ends I0 and II flared outward to form line gripping V-notches l2 and I3.

Most clotheslines have a loop in one end for clothesline through the hollow of hook 1 and pulling on the clothesline to take up the slack. The clothesline is then moved upward into V'- notch I3 of the assembly and pulled tight therein. This forms the first fastening of the clothesline, following which it is carried over gripper member 9 and pulled downward into V-notch l2 to tightly grip it at that point, which thus forms a second fastening or anchor for the clothesline. With the clothesline in this position, the tighter that it is pulled, due to havin clothing or the like placed on it, the tighter is the grip of the anchoring device for holding the rope against disengagement. i That gripping however does not prevent taking up slack in the clothesline at any time since it is only necessary to disengage the clothesline from V-notches I 2 and I3, tighten the clothesline, and thenreengage those notches as previously described. While gripping the clothesline first in "vrnotch l3 and then in V-notch I2, as shown, is, apreferable procedure, this gripping can also be accomplished by passing the clothesline from hook,

I to the V-notch l2 and then to V-notch l3.

The present anchoring ideviceis accordingly. exceedingly simplegand readily used by housewives or others with no particular difficulty. The same-form of device canbe used at both ends of the clothesline ifdesired and particularly so where there is no loop in the end of the clothesline. While these anchoring devices are preferably made of heavy round-section wire which will produce .rounded surfaces for contacting with the clothesline, rope, or cable to beheld thereby, such device, can also be made inlother ways such as bystamping from heavy sheet metal. 'In that case, a blank would be stamped out and then a forming die would :bend the ends l0 and .l] of the gripper memberoutward to form V-notches l2 and J3, and also .form, ihook 1.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention maybe employed instead of those explaine hange beingmade as regards the article hereindisolosed, providedlthe means stated by the following claim or the equivalent of, such stated means be employ d.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

A fastener for clotheslines and the like, which consists of a substantially cotter pin shaped body member formed from heavy wire rod with a substantially ring-shaped eye at one end and a pair of free ended substantially parallel legs extending side by side therefrom, one of said legs having its end turned down and backtoward said eye tov form an open book through which the line to be fastened can pass,"said hook being in a plane substantially perpendicular to the plane of said eye, said second leg extending beyond said hook and having a second heavy wire rod member rigidly fastened at its midportion to the side 2 .of .sa'idesecond leg opposite to said leg having said ,hookwith the fastened portion of said second rod member in transverse alinement with said hook, said second heavy wire rod member being substantially in the plane of said eye, the ends 0t said second member being extended outwardly from said second leg and in the plane thereof to form .open ended V-notches lying in .a plane perpendicular .to the plane of said hook and into which said .line .canlbe pulled and releasably anchored.

GLENN E. MILLS.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

